Telephone scams still circulating in Butte County

Butte County residents are being reminded by the Butte County Sheriff's Office of several telephone scams around the county.

The Sheriff's Office has been receiving multiple reports of people getting phone calls from someone claiming to be with the Butte County Sheriff's Office, according to a press release. The caller states there's a warrant that's about to be issued unless the person makes an immediate payment.

The same scam tactic has been happening around the United States.

Tracking the perpetrators is difficult because of technology used by the scammer, according to the Sheriff's Office. However, authorities are investigating and the Butte County Sheriff's Office has served search warrants.

How the scam works:

People will receive a phone call from a local telephone number, and the person calling will claim to be in law enforcement and use a sense of urgency and threat of an arrest. The scammer will claim that in order to avoid arrest, the victim will have to pay a fine. Victims are then instructed to purchase a prepaid debit card and transfer the funds to an account via phone.

The Butte County Sheriff's Office said the caller will usually ask for amounts from several hundred dollars up to $2,000.

The Sheriff's Office is only aware of one case locally where someone lost money because of the scam.

Several other people have reported similar scams in Butte County, including receiving a call about missed jury duty, having unpaid citations and owing money to the IRS.

People who believe they have received a scam phone call are asked to report it by calling 538-7322.